Toc the Younger
Toc the Younger was a Claw, a soldier in the Malazan 2nd Army assigned to the Messenger Corps outrider class,Gardens of the Moon, Chapter 3, UK MMPB p.117 and a poet. Although a Claw, he had no training as an assassin or mage.Memories of Ice, Chapter 1, UK MMPB p.63 He had been badly injured during the Siege of Pale by falling debris from Moon's Spawn.Gardens of the Moon, Dramatis Personae, UK MMPB p.xii Half his face had been burned away, an eyepatch covered what used to be one eye and he held his head at an odd angle. He spoke with a rasping voice.Gardens of the Moon, Chapter 3, UK MMPB p.113 Toc thought of the missing eye as being the left one. Presumably, Paran had named it the right one as seen from his own view. The loss of his eye left him with a lasting urge to scratch around the empty eye socket.Gardens of the Moon, Chapter 9, UK MMPB p.268 When riding, Toc was armed with a scimitar sheathed at his hip and a short bow stowed in a saddle holster. He used the bow right handed.Gardens of the Moon, Chapter 9, UK MMPB p.270 He was a competent archer even after losing one eye.Gardens of the Moon, Chapter 9, UK MMPB p.274 Toc was the son of famed Malazan commander Toc the Elder. Although he had heard the rumours that his father was dead, he tersely reminded others that his father had "disappeared" and was "not dead for sure."Gardens of the Moon, Chapter 9, US HC p.202 Toc was known to have used at least one alias, and in his capacity as a Claw, also went by the name of Render Kan.Gardens of the Moon, Chapter 10 While a Claw, Toc developed a strong camaraderie with the soldiers of the 2nd Army, which sometimes resulted in divided loyalties when their interests conflicted with those of the Empire.Gardens of the Moon, Chapter 9, US HC p.224Gardens of the Moon, Chapter 10, US HC p.234 Also unlike most Claw, he was warm and open with allies who did not pose a threat.Gardens of the Moon, Chapter 3, US HC p.96 In Gardens of the Moon Toc the Younger was the only active Claw left in the 2nd, 5th and 6th Armies after the Siege of Pale.Gardens of the Moon, Chapter 3, UK MMPB p.115 Following the siege, he was assigned to escort Captain Ganoes Paran upon his approach to the city of Pale. He cheerfully offered Paran his assessment of the city's political situation and warned that the loyalty of High Fist Dujek Onearm's soldiers should not be tested.Gardens of the Moon, Chapter 3, UK MMPB p.113-117 Sometime after a Hound of Shadow had attacked the camp, Toc went out to rendezvous with Adjunct Lorn. They were due to meet a day's ride outside Pale but Toc had ridden for three days before he came across evidence of her party having been ambushed by Ilgres Barghast on the Rhivi Plain north of Pale. He followed the trail of Lorn and her surviving Jakatakan Élite bodyguards. When he came upon them, his archery which killed two of the Barghast, and the timely arrival of the T'lan Imass Onos T'oolan saved Lorn. Toc had last seen a T'lan Imass eight years previously in Seven Cities, but only from a distance. Toc bound Lorn's injured arm whilst he updated her on the situation in Pale. He and Lorn then rode double on Toc's Wickan breed mare to Pale.Gardens of the Moon, Chapter 9, US HC p.267-278 Once in Pale, he attended a meeting of the city's new Imperial leaders. Before Dujek, Lorn, and High Mage Tayschrenn, he chose to remain loyal to the 2nd Army and not inform the gathering of Tattersail's obfuscations regarding the recent attack of one of the Hounds of Shadow.Gardens of the Moon, Chapter 9, US HC p.224 Later, he chose to put his trust in Captain Paran, disobeying orders so that he could help the captain save the lives of the Bridgeburners.Gardens of the Moon, Chapter 10, US HC p.233-235 Enroute to Darujhistan, both were ambushed by Hairlock and Toc was thrown into the Warren of Chaos.Gardens of the Moon, Chapter 15, US HC p.326 In Deadhouse Gates The Imperial Historian Duiker recalled how he had been plucked out of the ranks of the Malaz 1st Army by Emperor Kellanved and given over to the tutoring of Toc the Elder, who Kellanved called a "soldier with a brain." Toc taught Duiker to read and write alongside his own young son, Toc the Younger, a "runt of a boy who always seemed to be suffering from a cold." Toc the Younger was a quick learner and Duiker's education soon fell to him. Duiker said the boy later "rejected a life amidst scrolls and books."Deadhouse Gates, Chapter 12, US HC p.314-315 In Memories of Ice While Toc was unconscious in Chaos for two months, Togg came upon him and chose to inhabit his body in order to search for his mate, Fanderay. Shortly thereafter, Toc awoke at Morn, where he found Onos T'oolan, now calling himself Tool. They both joined Lady Envy and her entourage and travelled with them for a time.Memories of Ice, Chapter 1 During their travels, the pair became friends, and Tool gave Toc a new name Aral Fayle meaning 'touched by stone' for him having lost his eye to a chunk of Moon's Spawn.Memories of Ice, Chapter 7, UK MMPB p.311 - "Touched by stone, mortal - Chen're aral lich'fayle - there, on your brow. I give you a new name. Aral Fayle. After reaching the town of Bastion, Toc left Lady Envy's entourage and joined the Pannion Seer's army as a means of getting back to Onearm's Host. Later in Outlook, Toc was imprisoned by the Pannion Seer where he was endlessly tortured, broken and healed only for the punishment to begin anew at the hand of a mad K'Chain Che'Malle matron. Outlook fell to Lady Envy and her entourage, but the Seer was able to move both Toc and the matron to Coral. When Toc's old companions finally converged on the city of Coral and attempted to rescue him, they inadvertently released Togg which had the unfortunate result of killing Toc. To repay Toc for the use of his body, Togg helped Toc's soul inhabit the empty body of Anaster. In Reaper's Gale As Toc Anaster, he was proclaimed Mortal Sword and accompanied the Grey Swords of the Wolf's Reve to Lether where they were ill-used by the Awl who abandoned them in their fight against the Letherii and the Grey Swords were wiped out. Toc was then taken prisoner by the Awl. He was found by Redmask and joined up with the Awl. However he didn't want to fight anymore so he just guarded the encampment, not actually fighting alongside the Awl in their first engagement against the Letherii. In the second battle between Letherii and Awl he rode a charge against an Edur mage. He managed to kill the mage with an arrow which he shot while his horse was leaping over a trench. With that arrow he killed a second Edur mage who was linked with the first. Toc was killed when he valiantly charged the Letherii forces alone in order to let the few remaining Awl children with Torrent escape. Tool arrived as warleader of the remaining Barghast clans just in time to see Toc slain and was consumed with grief at his friend's death. In Toll the Hounds Hood claimed Toc as the Herald of High House Death and sent him to tell Picker to deliver a message to Karsa Orlong about killing a god. Toc then led a carriage of the Trygalle Trade Guild containing Gruntle and Mappo Runt through Dragnipur to the Wastelands. In The Crippled God Whiskeyjack granted a longstanding desire of Toc's and inducted him (posthumously) into the Bridgeburners where he joined them as guardians and arbiters of Hood's Gate.The Crippled God, Chapter 24, US HC p.888 History Toc was born aboard a ship, quite possibly the Ragstopper. His mother was Cartheron Crust's sister and his father was Toc the Elder.Memories of Ice, Chapter 9, UK MMPB p.406 He, along with his two older siblings (probably half-siblings), Ingen and Leese, were subsequently raised among the Seti.Return of the Crimson Guard, Book 2 Chapter 6, US HC p.497 He was considered somewhat of a runt. Later, at school he helped a veteran soldier, Duiker, learn to read. Creative works He was the author of: *''The Bridgeburners'' *''Lay of the Bridgeburners'' *''Lay of Onos Toolan'' Under the name Toc Anaster he also authored: *''Before Q'uson Tapi'' *''Untitled'' Fan art gallery GotM (Spoiler free)= Toc the younger by artsed-d8ub8us.jpg|Toc the Younger by Artsed|link=File:Toc the younger by artsed-d8ub8us.jpg Toc the younger .jpg|Toc the Younger by Corporal Nobbs|link=File:Toc the younger .jpg Stonearrow by Ylva Ljungqvist.jpg|Toc the Younger by Ylva Ljungqvist|link=File:Stonearrow by Ylva Ljungqvist.jpg |-|Memories of Ice= Tool and Toc by Dark.H.jpg|Tool and Toc by Dark.H|link=File:Tool and Toc by Dark.H.jpg Toc the Younger and Togg by Matt Smith.jpg|Toc the Younger and Togg by Matt Smith|link=File:Toc the Younger and Togg by Matt Smith.jpg Toc.jpg|Togg finds Toc unconscious in the warren of Chaos, by Toraneko|link=File:Toc.jpg Toc and Baaljagg by Sarinjin.jpg|Toc and Baaljagg by Sarinjin |-|Reapers Gale= A mage killer by Dejan Delic.jpg|A mage killer by Dejan Delic|link=File:A mage killer by Dejan Delic.jpg Notes and references de:Toc der Jüngere pl:Toc Młodszy Category:Males Category:Claw members Category:Soldiers Category:High House Death Category:Quon Talians Category:Grey Swords Category:Authors Category:Mortal Sword Category:Bridgeburners Category:Malazans Category:Humans